1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to attaching RE tags in general and to attaching RF tags to a sponge and gauze item in particular.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
There are many environments in which multiple tools and disposables are used, including for example operation rooms, hangars, garages, or the like.
An operation room is a facility in which intrusive operations are performed on patients. Typically, multiple people participate in an operation, using multiple tools, such as scalpels, forceps, and others, varying according to the surgery being performed.
Intensive efforts are invested in keeping track of all tools and disposables, in order to make sure no tool unintentionally remains inside the patient's body. Therefore, careful counting is performed before, during and after the operation. Counting the tools is a tedious job and requires intensive resources, including mental resources, personnel time and down-time of the operating room. Counting the tools towards the end of an operation also increases the time the patient's body is open with the associated risks, in addition, counting is not always error-free, and in too many cases tools end up being left within the patient's body, causing severe damages and even death.
One of the elements counted in an operation room is sponge items, such as gauze and laparotomy sponges. It is also desired to count the sponge items after an operation to verify that none is left in the patient's tissues. Counting the sponge items can be performed by detecting X-ray detectable wires attached to the sponge items using an X-ray machine, Such machine generates radiation and cannot distinguish one sponge item from several items. As a result, after removing a sponge item from the patient's tissue, one still cannot verify that the patient's tissue is free from sponge items unless rescanning the patient again with X-ray machine.
To solve the above problem, RE tags may be attached to sponge items by sewing. The sewing may be performed manually, which is not cost-effective and time consuming. Manual sewing reduces the throughput of the attaching process and increases the costs of the machine that outputs the sponges from raw sheet of the sponge material. It is challenging to mechanize the sewing process, as there are many sizes and models of sponge items, on which the RE tags are to be attached. For example, a different machine is required for sewing an RE tag to a 30 cm long sponge than for a 45 cm long sponge.
There is thus a need in the art for a biocompatible and sterilization-resistant identification tag to be attached to a sponge, and a automated cost effective method for attaching the tag to the sponge.